2021 World Series: Astros Vs Braves
After a split of honors in Houston, the Braves and Astros face a three-game series in Atlanta, a city that has not hosted a World Series game since 1999.
The Atlanta Braves did their homework as visitors, winning the first game of the Fall Classic 6-2, and will now try to take advantage of their home venue to sweep and win the title they have not won since 1995.
On the other side, the Astros, who are playing in the World Series for the third time in the last five years, will try to survive the back-to-back games and decide favorably at home, in front of their fans for the first time. They won their only title as visitors, at Dodger Stadium, in 2017.
Which team enters with the advantage for J3 (Garcia vs. Anderson)?
Picking Atlanta because they play the first of three games at Sun Truist Park, the first World Series game in that city since the days of Smoltz, Maddux, Glavine and Chipper Jones, but several indicators lean me toward Houston: big hitters like Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa showed signs of offensive awakening in Game 2, the Astros bullpen continues to get the job done and Houston, with this same core, proved it doesn’t panic on foreign stages: since 2017, they’re 18-15 in road playoff games, including 3-0 in the 2019 World Series, where their problem was winning at home.
Astros have a chance to take advantage in Game 3 in Atlanta. Yes, I know, the Braves are home and in playoffs that weighs more than a poorly handled marriage. However, if you review the regular season stats you will notice that the Astros had a better record as a visitor (44-37) than the Braves as a home team (42-38). Both starters, Anderson and Garcia, have just two MLB seasons under their belts and are facing their first World Series opener. Whoever controls the pressure better will have a slight advantage. And since pressure causes losing command or working too fine, if Anderson allows too many runners to reach the basepaths, he will suffer because catcher Travis d’Arnaud has had 32 stolen bases in 33 attempts in postseason games. Tucker and Gurriel’s double steal in Game 2 is a sign that Houston will put speed to work on offense.
- What adjustments should the Astros make in the outfield without a designated hitter?
Championship Series MVP Yordan Alvarez has to play, so he’ll return to left field, where he’s already played three games in these playoffs. His legs are fine, as he proved in his two triples in October. Chas McCormick or Jose Siri would come in as a late-inning replacement if the Astros are ahead. The biggest problem will be deciding who will be the center fielder between Kyle Tucker and Michael Brantley, who also have to play. Tucker barely played the position four times in 2021 and Brantley hasn’t covered that area since 2015.
- Fact or fiction: the Atlanta Braves will close out the World Series at home.
Fiction. Neither the Braves’ intensity nor the Astros’ character and experience can be underestimated. Houston has a chance to win at least one of three games in Atlanta, and none of them will feature Charlie Morton, whom the Braves lost for the rest of the Series. The hated tomahawk chops will help the home side, but if the torrid Astros offense produces runs quickly and in droves, that won’t be a factor.
It’s a very even series. It can go either way really. The atmosphere in Atlanta will be better than in Houston and that can motivate and help the home side and be an influence on the field. In this sense Atlanta has the advantage, but I see it very difficult for them to win all three games in a row. I really think it goes back to Houston at least for a game 6. Again I say I don’t trust the Astros rotation 100%, but when they give Altuve and Correa room to shine the debacle begins. I predict the Series is over in 6 with whoever wins the decisive game 3 being champion.
